Experts issue warning over Asian hornets as sightings rise

There were 429 credible sightings and 112 nests, as of September 11, reported by the National Bee Unit

Asian hornets now pose a “significant threat” to the UK’s native honeybees, experts have warned, after sightings rose drastically this summer.

This invasive species is indigenous to Southeast Asia and its growing unregulated population is concerning to UK wildlife ecosystems. Latest figures show that there were 429 credible sightings and 112 nests, as of September 11, reported by the National Bee Unit (NBU) in the UK.

This is an increase from last year, when there were 71 credible sightings and 24 nests found and from 2023, when there were 72 sightings and 56 nests located.

A hornet’s nest can contain thousands of insects, with a particularly large one having the potential to house 5,000 to 6,000.

There have been a total of 191 confirmed nests of yellow-legged hornets since 2016, all of which have been destroyed, according to the government.

Asian hornets can be deadly to honey bees, as they typically ambush them as the outside of the bees’ hive before tackling them. They tend to decapitate them and fly the protein rich body back to their nest to feed their young.

The insect’s only predator is the European honey buzzard, which does not currently live in the UK and so there is nothing capping the numbers.

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The hornets have been overwintering across the last three years in the UK and Ireland and tend to be active this time of year. They have been most commonly spotted in Kent, Surrey, Hampshire, East and West Sussex, as well as further north in Yorkshire and Cheshire.

Sophie Gray, a researcher from the University of Southampton on the acoustics of hornets said: “The main issue with Asian hornets is that they are omnivorous and feed on a wide range of pollinators to feed protein to their young, especially honeybees. One nest of Asian hornets can destroy an entire beehive in two to three days.”

The species is distinctive for their noticeably yellow legs and distinguished by their yellow face, black head, velvety black or brown thorax, brown abdomen with yellow stripes and one orange stripe. The worker hornets are approximately 20mm long, whilst males are 25mm and queens are 30mm.